Transport Business Development & Programme Manager

Fixed Term / Secondment opportunity, 2-year contract with potential for extension

Full Time, 37 hours per week

£48,858 to £57,480 per annum

Working Style:
Anywhere worker

Closing Date: 15th February 2026

The Transport Business Development Manager will contribute to the overall commercial direction of the Integrated Passenger Transport Unit (IPTU) to ensure the identification of innovative new business opportunities and enhancements to existing services across the IPTU and lead the delivery of high-profile infrastructure and customer-facing innovations

The role will require the use of business acumen and commercial awareness to identify gaps and deliver new products and services to market. Managing change and identifying opportunities which match services to customer needs through key commercial and corporate partnerships, leading to the development of new client relationships.

Working collaboratively with colleagues, this role requires a strategic and persuasive leader to contribute to the development and implementation of an overall strategic vision of integrated transport by challenging the traditional segregation of activities and working with an extensive range of internal and external partners to develop new commercial approaches to long-term challenges.

This role carries significant financial and operational accountability, overseeing a £1.5 million budget that spans diverse service areas such as Digi Go, alongside managing a growing stream of income from traded and commercial activities. The postholder will provide strategic leadership for a team of 6 to 8 direct reports, and hold wider responsibility for approximately 50 staff across multiple services, ensuring effective delivery and performance across all areas.

To read more about our business area, please visit Climate, Environment and Customer Services

• Develop business growth strategies and costed plans for existing services in the remit of the ITPU including Travel Training, Specialist Healthcare Tasks as well as leading on the development of costed plans for new commercial opportunities.
• Develop and deliver business plans to secure capital and revenue investments across the IPTU.
• Procure, lead and manage a growing range of contracts worth a collective £13m to £30m over their lifetime to deliver outstanding outcomes and benefits for the residents of Essex. This includes project management and ensuring deliver to tight timescales, that have a commitment or impact externally to other partners (e.g. Department for Transport, District and Parish Councils).
• Responsible for contributing to marketing strategies and sales plans across the IPTU for the purposes of improving the customer experience, creating behaviour change in the local population towards sustainable travel and generating revenue for commercial opportunities.
• Accountable for developing and building commercial relationships with senior stakeholders and partners to enable the delivery of shared objectives in promoting passenger transport and accessibility. Leading to generating new business within Essex and further afield, including a broad range of sectors.
• Lead in providing specialist knowledge, ensuring the Council is adequately represented on cross functional project groups in support of passenger transport related activity.
• Builds influential relationships with Directors, Senior Managers and Members on developing the commercial approach, including opportunities for internal and externally traded income generated activities.
• Contributes to the development of the Council’s Passenger Transport Strategies relating to buses, taxis, community transport, concessionary fares and sustainable school Travel.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

• Educated to degree level in a relevant subject area, or equivalent by experience.
• 3-5 years experience in digital product management or project management, with an industry recognised qualification.
• Strategic thinker with strong analytical, prioritisation, and negotiating skills; leading to the creation of innovative solutions that…